The Souls Of The Right And Wrong
by Pirka
Summary: When a young girl discovers a Daemonic pup in the rainforest, she is introduced to a whole new world. Based on the first feature film, not the cartoon, set 1000 years after the film's events. All feedback greatly appreciated! CH 5 UP!
1. Prologue

**The Souls Of The Right And Wrong**

**A Moviemon Story by Emily "Pirka" Bricker**

(Note: I do not own Spooky Island, the "creatures" (Daemonic), the Daemon Ritis, the Darkopolypse, the term "protoplasmic head", the Arnuki Beasts, the Scooby Doo film or any of its characters, sayings or likenesses, which are all copyright Warner Brothers. I _do _own Hannah, the other characters, the Islands of D'Quilla, Moviemon, the Moviemon World, the term "Daemonic", and most of the Daemonic language, though some of it was from the ritual chant and deleted scenes from the film. If you are in question about whether or not I own an aspect of the story, please ask and I'll add it here. 

All comments, critiques, questions, fanart, requests for events or drawings etc. are gladly read and accepted! Finally, enjoy the story, and remember…_Ricolai Sensay_.)

_**Prologue**_

The Moviemon World is a large planet full of natural wonders, undiscovered lands, and dark forces. Through snaking rivers, a trail is drawn to the ancient group of islands known as D'Quilla. This is where our story begins, in the tropical rainforests where many a settlement once stood, and now, on these islands left barren for so long, human life is beginning anew.

Through the passage of time, D'Quilla transformed. From years of being isolated from humankind, moss and plants took over the islands, creating forests full of tropical flowers and frolicking animals, animals that need not worry of unnatural slaughter by men. Deep within one of these mysterious forests, hidden by the dark cover of the wild canopy, is a round clearing. If one were to venture too far into this clearing, they would discover something that could change the entire planet, something that would bring the world into darkness, simply brought on by the curiosity of one. Some things in this world, as one girl is about to find out, are not meant to be discovered.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

The sun reflected off of the ocean on the peaceful islands of D'Quilla, dividing into beams that seemed to dance in the crisp tropical air. One of these beams shone into the window of a small, one-story dwelling located just between the bank of the beach and the untamed forest. The beam lingered in the window for a few seconds, waking a sleeping girl. The girl rubbed her eyes and jumped out of her small bed, immediately beginning her morning routine. She picked up a comb on her nightstand and ran it through her vivid red hair, then took off her pajamas. She was just slipping on a pair of jeans when a voice called out.

"Hannah, are you awake yet? Breakfast is ready."

Hannah opened the door and poked her head out before replying, "Yes, Mom, I'll be out in a moment! I'm just getting dressed."

Hannah ducked back into her room, humming softly to herself as she pulled on a t-shirt and pushed her feet into a pair of soft leather hiking boots. When she was finished, she ran excitedly down a short hall and catapulted herself into a chair at the breakfast table, just avoiding knocking it over. Her mother, whose hair was as phoenix-red as Hannah's, chuckled as her daughter quickly downed her breakfast, a bowl of cottage cheese and fresh island fruit. The two of them sat in silence until Hannah's mother spoke. "Today is going to be a busy day for me."

Hannah agreed. "Yes, you told me already. You're going to go to the Outer Island to do some work on permanent dwellings, and I'm going to stay here."

Hannah's mother was part of a project to populate and settle D'Quilla. She was working as an architect.

"Yes," stated Mother with a slight hint of sternness in her voice, "You're going to stay here. And I expect the house to be clean and you to be on your best behavior until I return."

A sudden rush of anger came to Hannah, but it dissolved into annoyance as she began to speak. "But, Mom, you promised that I could explore the rainforest while you were gone!"

Mother sighed. "Oh, yes, but don't go too far. The forest is an untamed place. You could get seriously hurt, or…"

Hannah interrupted. "Mom! I'm thirteen years old! I can handle anything that's thrown at me…" she quickly jumped from her sitting position to a fighting stance, "…because I'm a super explorer! Hi-yah!"

Mother chuckled at her daughter's antics, but quickly became serious. "I'm your mother. And, I'm still responsible for everything that happens to you, regardless of your age. Now, you can explore the forest, but, for goodness sake, don't go too far! You're a responsible young lady, and I believe in you."

Hannah and her mother met eyes for a moment. It had only been a minute of eye contact when a low whirring sound caused the two of them to turn their heads, searching for the source. The whirring grew louder and lower in pitch until a definite source of the sound came into view. It was the unmistakable throbbing whirr of an airship; it was a long, silver craft that hovered slightly above the ground, even when it landed, and emitted a silver-blue glow from the bottom, as if the ship was fading into the air itself. The airship landed smoothly outside Hannah's home, and a man in a stern-looking suit and tie stepped out, gesturing Hannah's mother to come.

"That's my ride to the Outer Island. Goodbye, Hannah."

"Goodbye."

Hannah bid farewell as her mother stepped into the airship, which took only seconds to float out of sight, the whirr becoming higher as it ascended. Hannah watched until the airship was completely out of her range of vision, and then pulled the laces on her boots tighter in anticipation. She was finally free to explore the rainforest without the nagging doubts brought on by her mother's warnings! She ran into the house and down the corridor to her room, jumping through the door as if her life depended on it. She climbed under her bed and pulled out a large, plastic storage box that she had kept full of supplies for her explorations, and rummaged around in there, grabbing hold of everything she needed: a compass, a water bottle, and, her most prized possession, a safari hat. She ran back out of the house, donning her hat as she ran, then quickly ran to the edge of the beach, which was mere feet away from her home. She dipped her bottle into the salty ocean, filling it with cold water, then clipped it onto her belt with a satisfying snap.

When she felt completely prepared, she nearly squealed with excitement. Then, unexpectedly, a tiny, tingling doubt formed in the back of her mind. She stopped her sudden approach to the situation.

"A real explorer would be serious about her expedition," Hannah spoke her thoughts out loud to herself, as nobody else was there to hear. "I'm going to play this safe like my mother said." Hannah sighed. But, her sensibility was blotted over as she remembered how much she had always wanted to explore the forest to its dark limits. So, she made a compromise to herself. "I'll only go out for a few hours, and I won't go too far." After her self-compromise, a smile formed on her face. She began to walk briskly towards the rainforest, humming to herself.

Hannah walked through the rainforest, leaving no stone unturned. She listened to the sounds of exotic creatures; she smelled the fruity aroma of blooming orchids; she climbed on the roots of ancient trees and swung on the long, braided vines. The forest was everything she had hoped for and more, and with each step she felt as light-hearted and free as the candy-colored birds that flew above the canopy. She walked through each part of the rainforest that had been forbidden for her to explore, cutting through the humid air with snippets of laughter, imitations of animal calls, and gasps of awe. Though her energy seemed limitless at first, it soon became apparent to her that she must stop and rest eventually. She didn't have the time, due to her lack of a watch, so she had nary a clue about how long she had been exploring; her compass told her which direction she was moving in, but that was all she knew. She did not know how far into the wild forest she had gone. As she sat down to rest on a twisted root, another worried fragment of doubt was forming within her. She looked up towards the canopy, and let out a small gasp. The trees were gargantuan, forming a pure hood over the part of the forest she was in, letting only small beams of sunlight in that darted around the trees as if trapped by the surrounding darkness. Her gaze darted around as her doubt turned to panic. Creeper vines zigzagged through the fertile earth, wrapping around every surface in sight like a massive cobweb. Her eyes followed the vines in swirling patterns, twisting and curling, reaching like outstretched arms to the center of what she now noticed was a large clearing. She looked around again. The trees were cut away in an eerily perfect circle, leaving the clearing smooth and round. Her attention soon went back to the center of the clearing.

This is when Hannah noticed the peculiar lines in the soil, which the creeper vines coiled towards as if attracted by an unseen force. She stared from her seat at first, but her feeling of panic began to change to one of curiosity, a powerful feeling that soon overtook her entirely. She stood upright and slowly made her way to the clearing's center. When she had finally gotten to the center of the round, dark clearing, she bent down to examine the marks she had seen from a distance more closely. That was when she felt the soft soil, and pressed it lightly with her hand. There was an ominous cracking sound, but Hannah did not hear. Without warning, the ground beneath Hannah split, causing Hannah to tumble into a pit below. She shrieked, but was not braced for impact. She hit a hard surface with a painful crack. She shook her head, trying to shoo away the dots that floated in front of her eyes. She licked her top lip and tasted a bit of blood. Her eyes began to adjust to the light, or lack of light, of the chamber she had fallen into. She glanced upward, and saw that she had not fallen any more than six feet down. When her eyes had adjusted completely, she began to look at her surroundings. She had fallen into a small chamber. The chamber walls were as perfectly rounded off as the clearing above it, giving the short pit she fell into the shape of a cylinder. The walls themselves were carved with strange letters. Hannah stood up from her sprawled position and ran her hand along the inscriptions, feeling the texture of carved stone.

"This is so…strange." Hannah continued to speak her thoughts out loud.

She shivered. That was when Hannah saw something that glinted in the corner of her eye. She turned to the other side of the chamber. Another glint in her eyes made her blink. "How could something sparkle like that without a light source?" she questioned to herself. She squinted, trying to comprehend the shape of the glinting object. She stepped closer. A small pedestal sprouted from the center of the chamber, surrounded by dust and the webs of spiders. Another sparkle of light shone, not from the pedestal, but from an object set on top of it. At first glance, the light appeared to be reflecting off of the object, but Hannah soon noticed that the light was actually radiating from the object itself. It was tiny, no bigger than Hannah's thumb, and was shaped like a diamond. The light shining from it was bright enough to make Hannah blink uncontrollably. She stepped away slightly and, from a distance, Hannah noticed that the shining diamond-shaped object was actually part of something larger. Hannah stepped forward again. The diamond appeared to be lodged in some kind of statue, but she wasn't sure what material it was made from. The statue was curled in an almost fetal manner, with two flaps folded over the top and four tiny spikes protruding from where the flaps ended. Hannah reached out to touch the statue's side. The second her fingers made contact, Hannah recoiled in pain, her eyes squeezing shut. Her chest began to heave as a lump formed in her throat. She became light-headed, almost tipsy. The pain from her chest spread to her head, which felt as if it were boiling on the inside, and her feet felt as if they were rising off of the ground. Her thought became clouded. Her mind raced as she saw flashes of green inside her mind. Her mouth opened, and the pain in her chest reached a devastating climax. At that moment, something deep within her changed, strange new parts of the mind were unlocked, pieces of a puzzle that had been lost for many centuries. The pain in her chest and head subsided, as she was tossed against the back wall of the chamber. Her eyes suddenly snapped open. She gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She still felt light-headed, as though she had been floating. She looked straight ahead at the pedestal and pushed herself onto two feet, her whole body still aching. Hannah gazed at the statue in awe, too amazed to speak. The flaps that had covered the statue's top peeled off slowly to reveal two piercing green eyes. It uncurled itself, revealing arms, legs, and a head, spotted with blotches of light and dark brown. It shook its head, perking up the flaps that Hannah suddenly realized were ears. Hannah shivered as the living, breathing creature stared back at her.

Something had been discovered.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Hannah could not believe her eyes. What had originally appeared to be a statue of some kind was now revealed to really be a living animal, an animal unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was only a mere foot tall, but it had arms and legs that were longer than its body, and were just beginning to uncurl. Its face was dog-like, with eyes that glowed as bright as hot coals and were as green as the island foliage. Its cheeks were pointed, its nose round like a dog's; its nostrils curved into trembling half circles that constantly smelled the air around it. It had large flap-ears, each one the size of Hannah's palm, and six stubby horns that sprouted from the soft, leather-brown skin around its eyes. The diamond-shaped marking, which was protruding ever so slightly from its chest, was shining brilliantly. The creature sat on its pedestal, simply staring at Hannah.

This was when Hannah realized that she hadn't had any food or water for hours! She unscrewed the top of her water bottle and took a sip, but quickly spat it out. In her rush to explore the rainforest, she had forgotten that the ocean was full of undrinkable saltwater. She then looked upward, a feeling of grim realization spreading through her thoughts. She was not only hungry, thirsty and tired; she had also fallen into a pit that she could not climb out of. She slumped down by the smooth chamber wall, her feeling of realization and panic continuing to spread. An abrupt rustling startled her, and she turned to see what it was. The creature had made its way down from the pedestal, and was looking deep into Hannah's eyes. Something strange clicked inside Hannah's deepest thoughts, and she began to feel a new and different feeling building inside her. She felt a sudden jolt of worry, for this feeling was not her own; the feeling was coming from somewhere else, but was forming within _her_. Her worry was quickly and unnaturally erased by this new feeling, and she had no time to object. It was a feeling of discovery, a happy, curious feeling. As this feeling overtook Hannah, the creature moved closer and closer to her. She tried to back away, afraid that a second contact would cause the same extraordinary pain as the first, but something was holding her in place. The creature slowly nuzzled into Hannah's chest, and her personal thoughts and feelings changed once again. Now they read as a feeling of hope, a feeling that Hannah soon connected with. Hannah now held the creature in her arms, and from it emitted a low hum that caused her temples to become sore. She rubbed them lightly to ease the pain, and felt a sudden urge to stand. She used her hands to push herself from the chamber's cold floor, and pressed her hands to the carved walls. That was when Hannah began to climb. Her fingers dug easily into the chamber's wall as if it were made of soil. As she pulled herself over the lip of the pit she had fallen through, the creature followed suit; in a short time, the two of them were sitting on the soft rainforest floor. Hannah let out a long sigh. It was just then that Hannah snapped back into her own thought, and quickly realized that she had somehow climbed out of the pit! "What is going on here?" she said to herself, "How did I do that? This is just getting stranger and stranger…" Hannah looked down at her hands, half expecting them to have changed in some way, but they were the same as they had always been. A stream of silver moonlight shone through a small crack in the canopy, bringing to Hannah's attention that day had turned to night. The forest was now even more alive, the chirps and squeaks of nocturnal animals providing a mellow song that blended seamlessly with the musky smell of the damp night earth. Streams of moonlight flowed through the canopy, giving the rainforest the feeling of a fairyland. The creature lay silent as Hannah took in her surroundings. Another alien feeling bloomed within Hannah, but she did not panic; she let the feeling, one that she could not even categorize herself, spread through her as if it were her own. Hannah looked at the creature and smiled. "I guess I should take you home," spoke Hannah out loud, not caring if the creature could understand, "And when we get there, I'll try to find out what you are." Hannah's expression became quizzical. "What kind of animal are you? I've never seen anything like you in my life." The creature turned and stared at her, and another outside feeling embraced her mind; she allowed it to linger there for several seconds until it faded away. Hannah's eyelids became heavy as she remembered how far she had walked. The creature nudged itself into a position beside her, perked up its ears, and hummed. Hannah closed her eyes and inhaled the cold night air before she fell into a deep sleep.

The sun shone through the canopy as calling birds heralded the coming of morning. Hannah rolled over in the warm earth, yawning as she blinked herself awake. She looked at her surroundings, seeing nothing unfamiliar, then looked down at her own clothes, which were stained from sitting on the forest floor. A strange feeling came over her as she regained full consciousness, a feeling as if she were forgetting something, a feeling that seemed too strong and sudden to come upon waking in the morning. She then remembered what she had forgotten – the creature! She looked around for any sign of the strange animal, but, alas, it was gone. "Where are you, little guy?" Hannah called into open air, and was replied by only the call of a lonely bird. "Where are you?" She began to call louder. Her head throbbed with a slight pain, and the pain spread to her chest. Feelings bloomed from nowhere; Hannah fell back into the soil as they bombarded her mind with wave after wave of tingling pain. She pressed her hands to the ground, beginning to feel dizzy. She tried to call out again, but her mouth stayed shut. A sudden swelling of the feelings to a painful climax stopped her from speaking. She reached up and touched her chest, and reflexively jerked her hand away. Her chest was scalding hot! She felt upset and alarmed, but none of her own feelings could break through the ones that were coming, with force, from nowhere that she knew. An idea burst from her pouring waterfall of feelings; Hannah concentrated on what the strange feelings meant, not how they came so quickly, and tried to ignore the pain. She instantly gained a different understanding of what the feelings were trying to tell her. The strange creature she had seen and touched the night before – and this shocked and scared her greatly – was now _within her_! She did not know how it had happened, or why it had happened, or even when it had happened; she didn't even know how she had deciphered this from the shockwaves of feelings, but it was certainly and undoubtedly true. Hannah closed her eyes and attempted to send feelings of her own; something was telling her that this was what she should do. The throbbing became less painful, and resembled a heartbeat: the creature's heartbeat. All of her alarm, all of her fear, all of her uncertainty melted away. This animal, this force, this power within her, somehow felt…right.

Hannah got up onto her legs, wobbling a little and then quickly pulling herself steady. She brushed herself off and stretched, inhaling the humid, sickly-sweet morning air. She took out her compass. "I went pretty far." She sighed, speaking to herself. "Maybe I should have followed my mother's directions." Her head buzzed in a strange manner, as if the creature were agreeing with her. Hannah looked at the compass in her palm. "I wish I had remembered which way I came. All I know is that compasses always point north." She sighed even deeper, paused, and groaned; then she started on her way. Hannah climbed slowly over each root, her knees buckling as she stumbled over vines that blocked her path like corded, green barricades. She stopped to rest after about ten minutes of walking back, instantly exhausted: without the awe and distraction of her previous walk, the distance and obstacles seemed tenfold. She looked inside herself, feeling a pulse in the far back of her thoughts, and focused on that. She felt instantly refreshed, and continued walking. The sun became less bright as each minute went by. Hannah could not count the minutes, or form them into hours, but she understood the passing of time. The sky slowly became purple and gray, and the remnants of the sunlight flickered, forming blood-red streaks and orange dots that were sprinkled throughout the sky. Hannah stopped walking and gazed at the sky, which was dotted with dark and light colors, like an aging painting. She sat on the damp ground, listening to the night bugs sing. It was better than fireworks. "Wow." Was the only thing Hannah could manage to say. "It's beautiful." These little touches, these things that she had never noticed before, amazed her. Sitting in the center of a swirling sunset, Hannah thought about the events of the past day, and of the previous night. Should she have followed her mother's directions? She didn't seem hurt, and if she had stayed on the beach, she would not be enjoying this beautiful sunset. Was her mother back from her trip? Was she looking for her right now? Hannah bit her lip with guilt. What about the creature? What was it? Why did it cause her to feel things she had never felt before? Her head throbbed slightly as she remembered her discovery. She had a strange thought. What if the creature was there just for her to discover it? Her head throbbed more, and Hannah felt another foreign feeling: it was a feeling of impatience. The sun had almost set. As the last few rays of red and yellow sunlight slipped into darkness, the impatient feeling became pain. Her chest and head became hot, as if she had a fever. The pain, however, did not last long. She gagged, and her chest threw out, and the pain abruptly stopped. Her eyes opened, and she took in an enormous breath of air. She shook her head. The creature stood again before her, now three times its original height. Its face was now narrower, nobler. Its arms and legs were long and thin, each coated with a layer of pulsing muscle. Its ears were also narrow now, the tips tapering to a thin point; they had become curled, and twitched with each insect chirp or leafy rustle. Its eyes were still a sharp, glowing green, but they had become sharper and more luminous. It now had long claws, on both its fingers and toes, and Hannah could now see its paws more clearly – and realized they were a lot like human hands, and had opposable thumbs. Her head tingled with another outside feeling, an excited feeling. The creature met eyes with Hannah, and her feeling changed. It was now something like a question. "Where…where did you come from?" Stuttered an excited, surprised Hannah. She felt her chest, which was unnaturally warm. Something dawned on her. "Did you come out of…out of…_me_?" Her head tingled a "Yes."


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

The moonlight hung in the air like a silvery sheet, draping over the island, making connections, joining parts together. As Hannah looked up at the moon, her Mother looked too, worrying about her only child.

"I hope that she's alright," Sighed Hannah's mother, "There's nothing I can do."

Two stern-looking officers looked back at her with cold eyes. One of them spoke, solemnly. "Madam, this is a very serious case. Your daughter is in a wild rainforest, alone." The officer shook his head. His voice had a hint of sourness, the kind of sterilized sourness that was present in every man in uniform. "I'm afraid that our chances of finding her are slim. Eighty percent of this island is rainforest, and we have no idea how far she has gone."

Mother's eyes became misty, and her face scrunched.

"I…I…I'm going to find her myself. Send in your best airships."

The second officer looked at Mother with squinting eyes. "Madam, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. It is my duty to make sure nobody gets hur--"

Mother interrupted with anger and worry in her voice. "I have to help Hannah! She is only an innocent little girl! And I love her with all of my heart. It is as much my duty to protect her as it is your duty to protect me."

A slim smile crept over the officers' faces. The first officer got out a walkie-talkie, and promptly spoke into it.

"Send in the best airships, as quick as possible! We need to help a lost girl."

Hannah's mother smiled.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

The rainforest night was wonderful. It was a medley of smells and sounds that mixed with the blue-silver moonlight to form something simple, yet extravagant; something that could not be duplicated anywhere else. Hannah sat on the rainforest floor, the creature curled around her, humming loudly. Hannah's mind was full of outside feelings, but she let them wrap around her deep thought like a warm embrace. When she did not resist them, she found that they were painless – except for a small tingling or buzzing – and easier to understand. She could see things that she had never noticed before. The soft blurriness of nature's paintbrush solidified into strokes of color that only she knew. The creature's humming made her entire body one with her surroundings, her eyes adjusting to her new view of the world. She saw moonlight in a way she had never seen it before – bright, beautiful, pure. She had always been fascinated with the rainforest, but before she found the creature, her fascination was linked to the unknown. She had loved the rainforest because it was new and different. Now, she loved it because it was at one with her, and she understood it. Her hand rubbed against the creature's soft skin, sliding over his pointed horns, feeling his long ears. Her hand shook with the creature's throbbing hum. She stroked his cold nose, which trembled with the discovery of new and different scents, and the rediscovery of old ones. Another new feeling pushed through her mind like a jolt. The colors of the rainforest swirled around her. Hannah was free!

The creature jumped from its curled position, rearing up on two legs. It had obviously grown, for it was now larger than Hannah. The creature's green eyes opened, sending a shockwave of light through the darkness. Her new feeling bubbled inside her head. It became a question, and spread through her entire body. The creature's muscles pulsed under its thin skin. Hannah's mind was filled to bursting with excitement. She swung herself onto the creature's shoulders, and grabbed his velvety ears. The creature burst into the air in a shower of green sparks. Hannah tightened her grip as the creature turned loops in midair, the colors around them blurring into the perfect shade. The creature landed on the ground with a thud, and began to gallop at a blisteringly quick pace. Hannah's hair blew behind her as the creature took sharp turns, bounding effortlessly through the magical night. Hannah cried out loud, her happy squeals echoing through the rainforest, answering the calls of the chirping insects.

_Free._

The word repeated in Hannah's head, radiating from the feelings within her, feelings that were bursting into the outside world.

_Free._

The creature moved swiftly and silently though the rainforest, and Hannah's arms gripped tightly around its neck. It hummed loudly, which seemed to cause the entire forest to vibrate.

_Free._

Hannah had never felt this way before. Was it another of those foreign feelings that pushed their way into her mind? No. It was coming from her and her alone. In the rainforest, in the moonlight, there were no rules. And, with this creature by her side, nothing could stop her from being free. She grasped the creature's neck even tighter, the air whipping at her face.

Out of nowhere, a burst of pure white light surrounded them. The creature froze in mid-jump, suspended in the light, as if it was caught in its thickness. Hannah's feeling of freedom dissolved. Hannah's mind went blank, and she lost consciousness.

A small creature stood on the forest floor, summoning the light with his topmost right hand. His head twitched uncontrollably, and five of his eight limbs lay limp at his sides, all but the active hand and his two legs. He closed his hand into a fist, cutting off the light, but Hannah and her companion stayed trapped in the air. He turned his head, summoning several similar creatures out of the bushes. He spoke. His voice was not menacing, but wise. "Ah, I see we've found the new Rex. And it's a girl this time." His attention shifted to Hannah's creature companion. "Oh, and a new Spawn." His head rotated jerkily, as if it was on a wobbly axis. "It's quite a strong looking one. Wonderful! Bring them in." The group of small creatures nodded, and then carried Hannah and her creature away.

Hannah blinked. Her hands opened and closed. She was lying on a cold, smooth surface. She pulled herself into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. She was in a small cave, wrapped from the waist down in a short blanket, woven from a material she couldn't classify. A fire sat in the cave's center, burning brightly. Hannah greatly appreciated the warmth. The small, six-armed creatures surrounded her; the one who had summoned the light hours ago sat in a woven seat opposite her. Hannah looked around for her creature, and smiled when she saw it sitting beside her, her head tingling a feeling of confirmation. Strands of moonlight illuminated everything in the cave, giving it a silvery glow, and confirming that night had not yet faded away. Hannah took in her awkward landscape, staring at the strange pack of creatures around her. Her mind flooded over with questions, many of which burst from her lips just as fast as they had burst into her thoughts. "Who are you? Why am I here? Where is this place? Do you know anything about my creature? What is this blanket made of?" The seated creature opposite Hannah chuckled and shook his head, then spoke. "Heh, so many questions…it's a good thing we have just as many answers." Hannah flinched in surprise; she did not expect that these small creatures could speak. The seated creature paused and then continued speaking.

"As for your first question…we are the Arnuki, the wise ones, the blessed protectors, the sacred guardians." He paused again, his head jerking like a squirrel's. Another Arnuki appeared beside Hannah, and placed a steaming cup in her hand. The cup was made of clay, and the steam rising from it smelled rather bitter, yet comforting. The seated Arnuki continued to speak. "It's herbal tea. You'll like it. It's warm, and it's nice. You'll be here for a while, so you might as well drink up." Yet another Arnuki appeared beside Hannah's creature, placing a dish full of tea in front of him; Hannah's creature leaned over and immediately began to lap it up. An outside feeling of comfort spread through Hannah's mind, doubling her own, similar feeling, and making her feel warm and relaxed. She sipped from her clay cup, allowing the strong formula to linger in her mouth for seconds before she swallowed. The seated Arnuki waited for Hannah to stop sipping, and resumed speaking. "Ah, more specifically, I am the Arnuki Chief, the leader of the pack; and a few hours ago, when I spotted you riding that Daemonic, I knew you needed answers. A new Rex always needs answers."

Hannah blinked, unsure of what the Chief was talking about. She spoke, her tone of voice becoming quite confused. "So…you were the one that brought me here. And my creature is called a Daemonic? What is a Rex? What exactly are you talking about?" The Chief chuckled again, his chuckle becoming a cough. He then spoke.

"But, first, what is _your_ name? Surely you have one. It would be pretty sad to have a nameless existence." Hannah's voice shook slightly as she spoke, the cold wind blowing through the cave made her shiver, even more so now that she had become used to the tea's warmth.

"My name is…Hannah."

The Arnuki Chief listened, smiling. "Hannah is a very nice name. Welcome, Hannah Rex."

The group of surrounding Arnuki chanted in unison. "Hannah Rex. Hannah Rex. Hannah Rex."

Hannah had no idea what to think. She sipped her tea again to comfort herself. She had so many more questions. "I'm a "Rex"? What does that mean? Is it bad?"

The Chief sighed a little. "Well, it depends on your point of view. Some believe that being a Rex is the ultimate blessing; others believe it is a curse." His head continued to jerk as he spoke. "Hmm, I'm forgetting something." His head turned towards Hannah's creature. "What is the name of your Daemonic, the Spawn? I apologize for not asking earlier." Hannah suddenly realized that she had never thought of naming her creature.

"Um, I'm not sure. I didn't think of naming it…" She remembered another question, the answer of which would be quite useful. "…and, do you know if my creature is a he or a she? I don't know that, either."

The Chief paused again, thinking. "Hmm, that Daemonic of yours needs naming." He giggled a little. "And your Daemonic is a male."

Hannah wondered what she would name her creature. It pleased her that she now knew what it was called – Daemonic. The name rung through her head, it sounded noble. She looked over at her Daemonic beside her, her head tingling slightly, assumingly with recondition. His eyes glowed brightly, and so did the diamond marking on his chest, which Hannah had nearly forgotten about. It had grown much larger since the last time she had noticed it, possibly to compensate for the Daemonic's bodily growth. She had even more questions for the Arnuki Chief. "That diamond on his chest – on the Daemonic, I mean – what is it?"

The Chief replied. "Ah, that is known by many names. Some call it the _Absorbus_; others refer to it as the _Energy Clip_, or simply the _Diamond Connector_. And it's not just on the Spawn's chest. You have one too. Haven't you noticed?"

Hannah was shocked by this comment. She ducked her head into her shirt, and, low and behold, an identical marking was indeed on her. It protruded from her chest, glowing. She pulled her head out of her shirt, gasping. The Chief continued. "Surprised? Oh, well, you must not have noticed. But now you know it is there. It is what connects you to the Spawn. And it has more important uses for the Rex alone."

Hannah was a little confused with the Chief's terminology, the least she could do was ask about its meaning. "The "Spawn"? Is that another word for "Daemonic"?"

The Chief explained. "No, no. The Spawn is a certain, specific Daemonic. He or she is the first Daemonic, the Daemonic that is connected to the Rex by the very soul. As the old Pandaemonous proverbs say…" The Arnuki Chief cleared his throat. "…_Rex is to Spawn as soul is to soul_. Your Daemonic is the Spawn to your Rex. Have you been feeling strange things lately? Feelings that seemed to come from nowhere, from somewhere other than you, but you felt them yourself?"

Hannah instantly agreed. "Yes! What do they mean? Where are they coming from?"

The Chief answered. "Those are the feelings of the Spawn. You are connected to him by soul. On the other hand, that Daemonic of yours feels similar things. He feels the feelings coming from _you_, Hannah Rex. Try sending him something now. Just concentrate on what your feelings mean."

Hannah did just that, and then her head began to buzz with a confirming feeling. Her Daemonic must have received what she had sent! She stopped and concentrated on the Chief, who continued the conversation. "See what I mean? It is important that the Rex and Spawn have a good bond. They will need that during daylight. Oh, yes." He paused and then continued, as he had been doing throughout the chat. "You see, Hannah Rex, the Daemonic species has one major flaw: they cannot survive in sunlight. They'll burst like little pimples! So, in order for the Spawn to survive, it will usually go within the Rex. Granted, you have noticed that already. That's a pretty impossible thing to not notice. That's another thing only the Rex and Spawn can do: share one body. Usually, for a Daemonic to utilize another body, its soul has to be gone first. But, since you and your Daemonic almost share one soul already, there's plenty of room for two inside your sun-proof body."

Hannah was a little unnerved by this reality. Share one soul? Share one _body_? With a strange creature, too! Still, Hannah somehow felt that this was right; but she did not know if the feeling was hers or her Daemonic's. She shivered, but then spoke. "So, during the day, my Daemonic will use my body for protection?" She seemed a little less worried when she worded it that way: she was helping another life form live. The Chief cleared his throat loudly and replied.

"Exactly! When the other Daemonic are born, they'll find others and take their souls, replacing them within the bodies. That way they'll be safe, too. Besides, the ritual requires energy: and souls are that energy."

Hannah stared at the Chief with wide eyes. "What ritual? There's a _ritual_? And there will be more of these things?"

The Arnuki Chief answered, his tone of voice becoming slightly deeper, more menacing. "Yes, of course there is. The Darkopolypse Ritual is the whole reason you are in this situation, the whole reason you have become Hannah Rex. You see, the Daemonic – or, the Pandaemonic, as they call themselves – loathe sunlight more than anything else. So, it is their goal to eliminate it for good. Once every thousand years, they choose a Rex. One Daemonic is always waiting somewhere to be discovered. They are ancient creatures, though they aren't quite as ancient as our race. They have been trying to complete this ritual for tens of thousands of years. When the Spawn finds a Rex, the ritual preparation begins. In a few days from now, the Spawn will give birth to more Daemonic – twenty or so, I believe – and they will go out in search of souls. They will make a ritual chamber, and fill a vat up to the brim with soul energy. Then, when everything is set, the ritual will begin. They will present you, the Rex, with the _Daemon Ritis_. It's a sort of gateway from the outside world into your soul, and you will clip it to the diamond on your chest. Then, you will absorb the souls in the vat, and, finally, you will absorb one pure soul, The Pure One. Then, the ritual will be complete. You and the Spawn shall rule the world, along with the entire Daemonic race, and every creature of the underworld, including us Arnuki, for ten thousand years. And you will be immortal, to see it all! Ten thousand years of night."

Hannah was scared, shocked, and upset. She cried out, her feelings enveloping her. Her Daemonic howled, knocked back from the feelings that Hannah had sent. "I don't want to cause the end of the world! I don't want to destroy the human race! I don't want to! _I don't want to!_"

The Chief sighed and spoke to himself. "Out of every Rex they could have chosen, why did it have to be a child? That's too much of a burden for someone like her!" He turned towards Hannah. "There, there, Hannah Rex. You still have plenty of time to think. Now, first thing's first: that Spawn needs a name." An Arnuki skittered to Hannah's side, and handed her a book. It was thicker than a phone book, it was leather-bound, and it looked quite ancient. It had strange lettering on the front, lettering that she recognized from the pit she had fallen into, the pit she had found her Daemonic in. Hannah opened it, and it sent a cloud of dust up to the top of the cave. Her Daemonic sneezed rather loudly, then rubbed its nose on the cave floor. The Chief spoke. "Ah, this should help with the naming. It's a record book of sorts, and it has a lot of Pandaemonous words – that's the Daemonic language – in it." Hannah scanned the pages, seeing nothing she liked. Then, her eyes fell on one particular word. She tried to read the inscription under it, but none of the lettering seemed familiar. She asked the Chief about it.

"What does this one say, Chief?"

The Chief's head cocked to one side as he looked at the page. "That is the _Ricolai_. It's another word for the result of the Darkopolypse Ritual. It means "fortunate end". It's a rather true term – the Darkopolypse is fortunate for us underworld creatures, but for most humans, it is essentially the end of the world."

Hannah smiled a little. That word seemed to describe her feelings perfectly. She turned to her Daemonic and spoke. "That's what I want to name you. Ricolai, the fortunate end." Her head tingled, and, suddenly, everything the Chief had said made sense to Hannah.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

The night was still young, and the moonlight was still shining through the cave's mouth. Hannah was silent, hiding inside her own mind: a pocket of quiet in her chaotic reality, a place where she could make decisions, a place where she could say anything and not be heard. No, she was forgetting Ricolai. To Hannah's surprise, his feelings seemed to be worried, too. His presence in her thoughts did not seem invading. In fact, it made her feel more comforted. She squeezed her eyes tight, and began to grasp the situation at hand.

She was the Rex, the one destined to complete a dark ritual. And Ricolai was the Spawn of the Daemonic race, sent to work with her, to help her, to share with her. Was Ricolai a gift, or a curse? He had given her freedom, the ultimate gift. "But now," Hannah thought, "I have to bring forth the end of the world…" Her mind trailed back to the words of the Arnuki Chief: "In a few days from now, the Spawn will give birth to more Daemonic – twenty or so, I believe – and they will go out in search of souls."

More Daemonic? Hannah trembled at the thought. Would they all crowd over her, reaching at her feelings, smothering her with their own? No. The Chief said only Ricolai could connect with her. The Arnuki Chief had also said that the other Daemonic would go out in search of souls. "They would be doing it all for me." Thought Hannah. She would absorb the souls herself, becoming stronger. She shed a tear. "And without that," She said slowly, softly, under her breath. "I wouldn't be strong enough." A sharp rapping on the cave floor popped her protective bubble of thought, snapping Hannah back into reality, back into the first consciousness. Ricolai buzzed in her head, his ears rotating around. It was the Arnuki Chief, tapping the rock with a painted cane.

He spoke. "Hmm, you've been thinking deep." His head twitched. Hannah sipped her tea, which was still somewhat warm. The Chief tapped his cane on the floor again, startling Ricolai, whose ears perked up. Hannah still had questions. She decided she'd be better off asking them right away.

"What else do you know about the Daemonic?" Hannah said this with a serious tone. The Chief smiled, and answered eagerly. "Plenty. We know more than enough about the Daemonic, their strengths, their weaknesses, their abilities, their state of mind…was there anything specific you wanted to know?" Hannah shook her head no. She felt serious; she needed all of the information she could get. "Ah, you're a curious one. I might as well grant you my knowledge, if you need it so badly. But I'm afraid you'll have to leave at sunrise, you have many decisions to make, decisions you must make alone."

Hannah's face crinkled with thought. She stated her concern in a question. "What decisions?"

The Chief laughed in a nervous manner. "Ah, you'll find out. Do you want to know about the Daemonic or not?"

Hannah replied. "I do. Very much."

The Arnuki Chief scratched his hairy mane. The moonlight shone on it, making it seem reflective and mirror-like. He spoke. "There is much you should know about the Daemonic. In fact, I'm glad you asked." He folded his six arms on his lap. "Daemonic are very powerful, capable creatures. Amazing things. They have incredible senses, many of which humans cannot even touch, and I cannot even describe. The feeling-sharing between the Spawn and Rex – Ricolai and you – is a good example. They can break the boundaries of the human soul, allowing them access to the deepest thoughts and darkest secrets of the human race. Even when the tiny Spawn, not yet found by a Rex, is in hibernation in its stone chamber, it can tell when the Rex is near. When its time will come."

Hannah listened with intrigue, and, in the back of her mind, a little fear. Ricolai shifted into his curled position around Hannah, and began his melancholy ritual of humming. Ricolai knew that Hannah needed comfort. She had told him so: through her deep feelings. The Chief continued to speak.

"The Daemonic are far from mere beasts. They are extremely intelligent." He paused. "Well, it depends on who raises them. With a bad Rex to grow off of, they don't even have a chance. That's why I'm educating you. You have a promising thirst for knowledge." Hannah smiled. "Hmm, yes. The Daemonic are soul stealers. By the light of the moon, they hunt for souls. When they find a good one, they'll immobilize the body. Drug it, if you will. They'll use a special gas to do this; it's a thick, green, translucent kind of vapor. Granted, you'll never see it: only extremely angry Daemonic would ever do something that disrespectful to their Rex. In fact, that's the entire reason the Daemonic search for souls: to energize _you_, the Rex. If the Rex is energized, the entire colony is energized." Ricolai's hum grew lower in frequency, and the Arnuki Chief grabbed his temples. Hannah wondered what he was doing, but before she could ask, the Chief resumed speaking. "That humming…the Spawn is happy. Does he do this often?" Hannah nodded yes. The Chief's eyes grew wide. "Wonderful! It's a comforting feeling, isn't it? Not many people get to feel it. Most of the people who see a Daemonic this close will not be in their bodies much longer." Hannah flinched slightly at the thought of being ripped from her body. Ricolai's humming swelled, and the entire room seemed to rumble; the atmosphere blurred, the same way it had earlier that night, when she had gone on her whimsical joyride. She felt instantly refreshed by this familiar feeling, and began to stroke Ricolai's soft skin.

The Chief continued, his tone becoming slightly more serious, the creases in his face deepening. "Now, Hannah Rex, you will have to face many important decisions throughout this experience, this process, of being the Rex. The most important things about the Daemonic are things that are difficult to explain, but they are things that you absolutely _must _know." Hannah's eyes stared deep into the Chief's. The Arnuki Chief's eyes were like black chasms, and they seemed bottomless. The moonlight reflected off of their wet surface, sparkling as he spoke. "One of these things is the nature of the Daemonic themselves. _Never_ think of them as simply animals. They are extremely intelligent, capable beings. They are capable of deep intelligence and human-like understanding; but they are just as capable of being ruthless and vicious. And, believe it or not, it is _you_ who must decide what this generation of Daemonic will be. The feelings of the Rex are the fuel of the colony. The Spawn can only help you make decisions. One foolish thought of rage could cause the Daemonic to act truly evil. That is what has happened every time I can remember: the Rex has always been overcome by his or her own feelings of rage. These feelings seem to make the Daemonic strong, but, in reality, it causes them to push themselves too far. That is why the ritual has never been completed." The Arnuki Chief shook his head. "Hannah Rex, the Daemonic have no nature of their own. They will not use all of their capability, all of their intelligence, unless you will them to. There are so many things the Daemonic are physically capable of. But, these capabilities, logically, are only as great as yours as a Rex."

Hannah tried her best to drink it all in. She looked at Ricolai. He was a big, powerful creature; he looked like he could do anything. How could a creature like that be limited by the feelings of a girl like her? Hannah spoke, her feelings confused and slightly nervous. "So…you're saying that if I was angry, dumb, and didn't think, the Daemonic would do the same thing?"

The Chief nodded and replied. "Yes, Hannah Rex, they would. Each and every time a Rex comes, I hope that he or she will think before they act. But, each and every previous Rex has only cared for his or her self. Hannah Rex, you have to be one with the Daemonic. They are not your army; they are not free to command to do anything you wish them to do. They are quite the opposite. You _are the Daemonic. _You _are the one_. You need to listen to what your feelings tell you, and you need to listen to what the Spawn tells you. When you are together, you can do anything, and no force in the living universe would be able to stop you."

Hannah's mind trailed back to when she had first found Ricolai. She had been trapped in a pit-like chamber, a chamber that she could never have climbed on her own. She remembered how she had suddenly felt strong, and had climbed the pit. Her mind tingled and rushed rapidly with Ricolai's presence. She had not done it alone. She finally realized what had happened. It was an act of combined force between her and Ricolai. Hannah smiled and continued to run her hand over Ricolai's velvet-soft skin. His ears twitched. Hannah finished thinking and spoke, almost to herself. "I can do anything…" Another thought crossed Hannah's mind. "Um, Chief, do you know how big Ricolai will get?" He had grown much since the beginning of the night. His arms and legs became even thinner, his ears became more pointed, and his nostrils more curved.

The Chief's head twitched rapidly from side to side as he answered the question. "The Spawn? He has reached his final size. The Daemonic are oft described as being large, but they aren't even close to the gargantuan descriptions they are given by humans." He laughed. "Humans always exaggerate the truth, especially with underworld creatures such as the Daemonic." His expression became more serious. "Maybe that is why humans do not understand the intelligence of the Daemonic. They see a creature taller than them with horns and eyes like fireflies, and they treat them as monsters…" Hannah nodded, and Ricolai's humming became a little louder, making Hannah's feelings blur into each other in a swirling mass. She had so much to think about.

"As monsters…" The Chief continued.

But that was the last that Hannah heard. Her head lay back on Ricolai's chest, and her eyes squeezed shut. The Arnuki Chief watched Hannah fall asleep, hoping that she had taken in what he had told her. "She is a promising Rex," He said to the other Arnuki surrounding him, "But, still, no matter how promising, I plead to the stars and planets that she has learned. Fate has brought her into Rexhood. Now, fate must guide her on her way."

Hannah had the burden of the world upon her.


End file.
